Manufacture of newspaper sound record supplements



Jan. 25 1938. w. G. H. HNCH 2,106,245

QUND RECORD SUPPLEMENTS MANUFACTURE OF NEWSPAPER S Original Filed April 22, 1936 FINCH WILLIAM GH. I

(Ittomcg Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF NEWSPAPER SOUND RECORD SUPPLEMENTS William G. n. Finch, New York, N. Y.

Ill illaims.

This invention relates to sound records adaptable for newspaper plant production and distribution as an inexpensive supplement for newspapers, and more particularly relates to novel methods of manufacturing such records.

The present invention is a division of the parent application Serial No. 75,851, filed April 22, 1936 entitled Newspaper sound record supplement which matured into Patent No. 2,063,870

on December 8, 1936.

Newspapers generally contain comic strips and sections devoted to children which would he more comprehensible or valuable to the youngsters it means were provided for reading the comic strips or in some way descn'bing the features in the newspaper of interest to them.

It has been proposed to supply a photographic replica of a sound track which may he played hack as sound with suitable equipment. Black m and white impressions of sound may he readily printed on a newspaper sheet in a manner similar to the printing of a photograph. lhe most important disadvantage of a photographic sound supplement is the relatively expensive complea equipment required to electro-optically translate the ink-sound record to soundi In accordance with my present invention, 1 contemplate a sound. record impressed in print ers paper mat or flong, cardboard or other paper or wood pulp sheet of substantial thicliness. The sound groove is rccordeddn a manner similar to the making of dish; records having a predetermined spiral track. The sound groove cular record form from the rectangular sheet Sound may be reproduced from the paper mat record by using a preferably fibrous or wooden needle or stylus in conjunction with a standard so lateral recording unit.

High fidelity reproduction generally denotes a frequency reproduction range of 100 to 7000 cycles. Practical considerations of a sound record supplement for newspapers led me to provide a 55 solution which would sacrifice high quality reproduction and durabiilty of record for merely intelligible reproduction and a record which may only be played several times. The paper mat record supplement in accordance with my present invention is relatively inexpensive, universally adaptable to standard disk phonograph record equipment and discardable after conveying its story to the youngsters.

The recording equipment preferably comprises a standard phonograph having a turn-table ro tat-able at seventy-eight revolutions per minute. The phonograph may be electric or hand motor driven and may have a mechanical diaphragrn= horn reproducer, or an electrical pick-up together with electrical translation as is well known by those skilled in the art. I

The reproduction frequency range of the mat records need only he d to 25% cycles for in-= telligibility of the speech suitable for ready com-=- prehension of the comic strip or any feature oi the newspaper which the record may contain. A paper mat, cardboard or wood pulp sheet record, readily manufactured by the newspaper plant is an inexpensive supplement of great value to a newspaper edition. Such a record may he played several times, although from a practical stand point it need only be played once or twice and then he discarded.

The newspaper sound record supplement particularly suitable for reading the comic strips to youngsters or to convey the actual speech intended by each character of the comic strip in the proper sequence for enacting the scenes of the strip. The sound record supplementspii my present invention may have ad vertising matter printed thereon and would form a desirable and profitable advertising section for any newspaper.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide novel methods of manufacturing a news w paper sound supplement by impressing a sound record into a paper mat or pulp sheet.

Another object of my invention is to provide methods of manufacturing a novel newspaper sound record supplement which is inexpensive and adaptable for rapid production in a newspaper plant. r

A further object of my invention is to provide methods of manufacturing a novel newspaper sound record supplement for intelligible reproduction by standard phonographic equipment.

These and other objects of my present int/en tion will become apparent in the following description taken in connection with the drawing, i w ich:

Figure 1 illustrates a sound record supplement corresponding to a single standard size newspaper sheet containing two sound records.

Figure 2 is a perspective illustration of a semicircular platen for impressing the sound records upon the sheet by a continuous or circular printing press.

Figure 3 is a partial perspective illustration of a sound record cut away from the supplement sheet.

Figure 3a is an enlarged detail illustration of adjacent sound tracks of the record.

Figure 4 is a. sound record supplement modification embodying a double sized sheet.

Figure 5 is a partial perspective illustration of a modified form of my present invention utilizing both sides of the record.

A preferred form of my invention is illustrated in Figure 1. A rectangular sheet ID of size corresponding to a page of the newspaper which it is to supplement has impressed centrally upon the upper and lower sections independent sound records l2 and II respectively. The dotted line l6 denotes the bent over zone of the sheet when the newspaper is folded over. Line I may be predetermined by suitably impressing or indenting it during the production of the supplement Ill.

Supplement sheet In is preferably made of printer's paper mat or fiong of sufficient thickness and impressionability to have the sound record impressions readily made thereon. The thickness of sheet l0 may, for example, be of an inch, of an inch, 01 an'inch, or any other'suitable thickness sufficient to retain a sound groove or record impression. Sheet I0 should be constructed as inexpensive as is practicable in view of the quality of the resultant records desired.

Printers paper mat is well known-in the newspaper printingart. It is essentially of a wood pulp composition having a binder. The paper mat sheet is admirably suitable material for the record of my present invention since it is readily impressionable and suitably retains the recorded impressions. The resultant record is sufficiently durable to maintain the sound tracks after several sound reproductions with a stylus. I shall hereinafter refer to the composition of this material as printer's paper mat". The method described in the present invention is, however,

equally well adapted for other fibrous, cardboard, pulp or impressionable sheet.

The paper mat supplement l0 may for a standard size newspaper, 23 inches long and 17 incheswide. Two circular record disks l2 and I! may be impressed upon a sheet In of such size, the diameter of the disk being 10 inches to form a record disk of substantial size. The

sound record spiral groove portions l2 and H are preferably bounded by circular indentations II and I5 respectively to facilitate the separation of the records l2 and I! from sheet In in the intended circular form. Indentations II and 15 need not be perforations in the sense that they follow through the thickness of sheet ill but need only be impressions into the surface of the sheet to permit tearing of the record disks or simple cutting from the sheet Ill.

The central area of the records I! and i1 is preferably bounded by circular outlines l3 .and 18 respectively. A printed label of the respective record contents may be made within the central area l3 and I8. The axis of the record disks l2 and H are impressed with indentations I4 and i9 respectively to predetermine the proper punching or removing of the central hole from the record to provide a suitable axis of rotation for the record.

The process for manufacturing the sound record supplements of my present invention is particularly adaptable for newspaper plant commer cial production. A metallic platen similar to the regular newspaper platen for each newspaper page is formed for the supplemental page III in a manner to be described. The platen is preferably made of somewhat stronger metal or alloy than the ordinary ink-printing platen since greater pressure between the plate and the sheet I0 is to be applied in manufacturing the record supplement.

The sound to be reproduced is recorded in a well known manner upon a master positive. The recorded sound may, for example, form the continuity of speech for characters of a comic strip or series of comic strips or may form the basis of a narrative relating the adventures of the comic characters. It is to be understood that the comic strip or section is supplied as a supplement in the same newspaper edition as the sound supplement I0 thereof. It will be evident that the sound record need not be restricted to the comic strip although its basic utility for youngsters resides therein, but may relate stories or other features of interest to the youngsters. Another important use is to provide a summary of news events to be listened to by blind persons who could utilize sound records without aid. Although I am limiting the description of the sound records to newspaper supplements, the inexpensive paper mat records which are intelligible and usable for several times may also be included in books for children or for the blind as will now be evident.

The master positive record is preferably made with a stylus which is blunt and a pitch which is coarse as compared to the standard molded or composition high quality recordings. The reason for the coarser recording is that the frequency response need not be as great since an upper frequency limit of 2500 cycles is sufficient for intelligibility and the production by platen impression of 'paper mat sheets will be facilitated by the coarser platen record.

A master negative is formed from the master positive in the well known manner and the negative recording is transferred to a platen similar to a newsaper printing platen.

.For reproduction of the sound supplement I I by machines similar to the present circular printing machines, a semi-circular platen 20 illustrated in Figure 2 is formed for each sheet of the sound supplement. The production of a semi-circular platen is well known in the printing press art and need notbe described here in any detail. A mold,

' preferably a flong mold, is formed of the master negative records in this case corresponding to records l2 and I! to compose the sheet corresponding to platen 20. The flong mold is scorched into a semi-circular form and the metallic platen 2| is poured so that ridges 22 and 26 project from the platen 20 corresponding to their respective master negatives. forming circular boundaries for the record negatives 22 and 26 are formed on the platen by correspondingly depressing the original mold therefor as will be evident to those skilled in the art. The central projections corresponding to the preformed holes 24 and 28 are similarly made. The central areas 23 and 21 are also preferably raised Spaced projections 2| and 25 from the platen 20 by'suitable manipulation of 75 the platen mold so as to define the ending of the recording.

For continuous production of the sound record supplements in a manner similar to the continuous production of newspaper sheets the semicircular platen is mounted in a machine similar to a circular printing press and caused to act upon a continuously fed paper mat sheet which is placed at one end of the machine in the form of a roll. If only single pagesupplements corresponding to sheet it) are to be produced, two identical platens 20 are placed on opposite sides of a cylinder of a continuous circular press and caused to act upon a continuous paper mat sheet fed therethrough. The sound supplement sheets l0 are automatically cut as they are successive ly produced by the continuously operating press to the form illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of half of a record disk severed from the supplement sheet l0.- The edges H which contained indentations or markings to predetermine the circular outline of the disk are shown to be rough between the alternate indentations to indicate that the disk 30 may be readily torn or cut from the sheet ID. The sound record I2 is preferably in the form of a continuous spiral groove having lateral undulations corresponding to the sound to be reproduced. The platen containing the negative of the record produces the undulated spiral groove it in the paper mat comprising the record disk 3% as will now be evident. The lateral groove is reproducible into sound by standard phonographic recording equipment. The central hole it is shown to be removed so as to form the axis of rotation of the dislr Figure 3a is an enlarged partial view of the iateral undulations E2 of the disk iii corresponding to the sound thereof. Although I prefer to illustrate my present invention with the widely used laterally cut records, it is to be understood that it is also applicable to the production of hill and-dale records as sound supplement sheets.

Figure 4 illustrates a modification of my present invention wherein a two page sound supplement is illustrated. Four 10 inch disks st, co, and. may be impressed upon a double page corresponding to a standard newspaper size. It is to be understood that if a smaller sized supple ment sheet is used correspondingly fewer records or smailer diameter records may be made thereon. A predetermined fold line is impressed upon the double page supplement so as to iacili tate proper bending over during assembly of the newspaper edition. Further predetermined bend lines 3? and 38 may be performed across the centrai portion of the two page supplement so to predetermine the corresponding bending thereof. It is to be understood that the records 32 to 35 are made in a manner similar to those described hereinabove but that correspondingly independent platens for the opposite sheets of the two page supplement are required.

A. further modification of my invention is illustrated in the partial perspective view of Figure 5 wherein the record disk 40 contains record impressions 42 and M placed on opposite sides of the disk. These impressions are performed in a manner similar to the printing of opposite sides upon a single sheet in a newspaper printingmachine by utilizing corresponding sound record impressions instead of ink-printing platens.

Although I have described my invention as the production of a. sound record upon a printers paper mat sheet, it will be evident that printing subsequent to the record impressions on the paper mat but preferably prior to the impressions.

I have described my invention in connection with a paper mat newspaper supplement of rectangular form. The sound record sheet supplement is the preferable form for newspaperwork from the point of view of production simplicity and of subsequent utility by fitting into the regular paper editions in sheet form. Although a continuous circular press has been described for producing the sound record sheets, a reciprocating flat platen press may also be utilized.

The printers paper mat sheet refers to fibrous, pulpy, cellular or similar composition sheet which is directly impressionable by a platen in contradistinction. to moldable materials which are pressed when soft and then need to be baked for hardening. Modifications may be made in my invention which fall within the broader spirit and scope thereof, and I do not intend to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of producing a newspaper supplement sound record sheet which consists in forming a master positive grooved record of sounds to be reproduced; making a negative record containing projections corresponding to the grooves of said positive record; forming a curved platen containing a replica of said negative record projections; and rolling the platen upon the supplement sheet to form a grooved impression thereon corresponding to the sounds to "e reproduced.

2. The method of producing a newspaper supplement sound record sheet which consists in forming a master positive grooved record of sounds to be reproduced; making a negative record containing projections corresponding to the grooves of said positive record; forming a curved platen containing a replica of said negative record projections; and rolling the platen upon a printers paper mat sheet to form a grooved impression thereon corresponding to the sounds to be reproduced.

3. method of producing a newspaper supplement sound record sheet which consists in forming a master positive grooved record of sounds to be reproduced; making a negative rec- 0rd containing projections corresponding to the grooves of said positive record; forming a curved platen containing a replica of said negative record projections; rolling the platen upon a paper mat sheet to form a grooved impression thereon corresponding to the sounds to be reproduced, and impressing a boundary about the impression for predetermining its separation from the sheet.

The method of producing a newspaper supplement sound record sheet from paper mat sheeting which consists in forming a master positive grooved record of sounds to be reproduced; making a negative record containing projections corresponding to the grooves of said positive record; forming a semi-circular platen containing a replica of said negative record projections; and continuously rolling and pressing the platen upon a paper mat sheeting to form successive impressionsthereon corresponding to the sounds to be reproduced.

ill

5. The method of producing newspaper supplement sound record sheets from a roll of pulp sheeting which comprises forming a semi-circular platen containing a projecting portion on the outer surface corresponding to a negative of the sound record, continuously feeding the sheeting past the platen, rotating the platen and simultaneously pressing it against the moving sheeting to impress successive portions of the sheeting with grooves corresponding to the soundirecord.

6. The method of producing newspaper supplement sound record sheets from a roll of paper sheeting which comprises forming a semi-circular platen containing a projecting portion on the outer surface corresponding to a negative of the sound record, setting the semi-circular platen in a circular rotary newspaper printing machine, continuously feeding the sheeting past the platen, rotating the platen and simultaneously pressing it against the moving sheeting to impress successive portions of the sheeting with grooves corresponding to the sound record.

'7. The method of producing newspaper supplement sound record sheets from a roll of paper mat'sheeting which comprises forming a semicircular platen containing a projecting portion on the outer surface corresponding to a negative of the sound record, continuously feeding the sheeting past the platen, rotating the platen and simultaneously pressing it against the moving sheeting to impress successive portions of the sheeting with grooves corresponding to the sound record, and successively trimming the sheeting into rectangular forms to produce the newspaper supplement sheets.

8. The method of producing newspaper supplement sound record sheets from a roll of pulp sheeting of the order of three thirty-seconds of an inch thick which comprises forming a semicircular platen containing a projecting portion on the outer surface corresponding to a negative of the sound record, setting the semi-circular platen in a circular rotary newspaper printing machine,

continuously feeding the sheeting past the platen, rotating the platen and simultaneously pressing it against the moving sheeting to impress successive portions of the sheeting with grooves corresponding to the sound record, perforating the outline ofthe sound record impressions to facilitate removal thereof, and successively trimming the sheeting into rectangular forms to produce the newspaper supplement sheets.

9. The method of producing newspaper supplement sound record sheets from a roll of paper mat sheeting of the order of three thirty-seconds of an inch thick which comprises forming a semicircular platen containing a projecting portion on the outer surface corresponding to a negative of the sound record, setting the semi-circular platen in a circular rotary newspaper printing machine, continuously feeding the sheeting past the platen, rotating the platen and simultaneously pressing it against the moving sheeting to impress successive portions of the sheeting with grooves corresponding to the sound record, marking the outline of the sound record impressions to facilitate removal thereof, and successively trimming the sheeting into rectangular forms to produce the newspaper supplement sheets containing indi- I vidual sound records.

10. The method of producing newspapersupplement sound record sheets from a roll of pulp sheeting which comprises forming two semi-cir-- cular platens containing projecting portions on the outer surfaces corresponding to negatives of the sound records, setting the semi-circular platens in opposed relation on a circular rotarythe sheeting into rectangular forms to produce the newspaper supplement sheets.

WILLIAM G. H. FINCH. 

